Moments
by wendykw
Summary: Kate has a free morning. She spends it with coffee and memories. Canon for now, will have some AU chapters. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

There are moments in everyone's life, when the universe pauses to etch a memory with clarity and vivid detail. It's a memory, that incorporates all the senses. Some of those moments are shared with many: the Challenger Disaster, 9/11, a favorite team winning a championship. There are deeply personal moments that define a life: a first kiss, scoring in the game, having sex for the first time, losing a family member. For Kate Beckett the deepest etched moment had been when Detective Raglan's words had ruined her life. She had defined her life by that moment.

The moment, that was burned clearly into her brain, was when Raglan had said the words, "I am so sorry to inform you.." She could still hear her heart stop momentarily, feel the tears that sprang to her eyes. Her father had wrapped her in a hug, and they had clung to each other and sobbed. Her mind and soul had gone numb. She could smell the garlic from his dinner and the Old Spice cologne that clung to her father. She could feel her father's sobbing breaths on her neck. It had been the pivotal moment of her life.

Before her Mother was murdered was a separate life. Her entire world was different before. Life had joy and love and possibilities. She would have a future that included parents, and a law career, and maybe, just maybe a husband and 2 kids.

After her Mother's murder, Kate no longer sought joy or love or a future. All she strove for was justice. She dreamed of experiencing the satisfaction of seeing the death or imprisonment of the SOB who killed her Mother. Her one goal in life was to find that SOB. Once it became clear that she would be denied success in her quest to find it for her own family, she had had to settle for finding justice for other families. That was her life, until Richard Castle barged into it.

Now she had joyful, blissful, loving, sensual, and happy moments etched into her mind. She chose to remember The First Kiss. She could feel his lips on her mouth and his hands in her hair; felt the wall of his chest against her own, and the strength of his arms around her. She could taste his mouth and breathe his scent. She could hear herself moan with her lust. That sound was followed by the chuckle of Lockwood's guard, and the ache in her heart when she had to end the kiss to knock the man out.

She would retrieve and submerge herself in that moment. Let her heart quicken with the joy she had felt; let her arousal feed off the memory of his touch, his taste, his warmth. It was all she had to cling to for over a year.

Kate felt the heat from that long ago kiss and touched her lips. She let her thoughts travel to their next kiss, the moment that led to their Always. It had been a day filled with determination, stupidity, pain, fear, insight and determination once again. The bad memories were seared into her brain just as profoundly as the joy, but she ignored them. She dwelt on the power of her joy, when Rick yielded to what their hearts wanted; as he surrendered to the passion they had deferred for years, and gave them a future.

Kate's coffee was cold. She rose from the sofa in the Great Room of the loft, gravitating to the promise of black, liquid bliss. There was still coffee in the pot, and she had time to savor it. She was home alone, and Rick's plane wasn't due for hours. She could bask in her memories and drink their special blend, until time to leave for the airport.

A/N: I was spending time in my memories, when the idea for this story struck. I was inspired by how detailed some memories are. I plan to add chapters, whenever the inspiration strikes.


	2. What Was That?

Kate had both hands wrapped around the ceramic mug of coffee. She was using Rick's oversized Green Lantern mug, wearing his expensive British boxers and a Nebula 9 T-shirt he had bought her. Kate looked down at her ensemble and laughed. Who would have thought she would ever be so besotted with a man? She missed him desperately. Kate placed the mug on the table that sat behind the sofa. She covered her bare legs with an afghan and picked up her phone. Time was passing too slowly. She still had 3 hours before she needed to dress for the trip to the airport.

Sipping the deliciousness from her mug, Kate let her mind wander. Most of the images that flitted through her mind were of a naked Rick. "Really, Beckett, are you that horny?" Kate chided herself aloud. "The man has only been away for two weeks. And now you're talking to yourself."

A memory slipped into her consciousness of it's own accord. It happened while Martha and Alexis were on their trip to Europe, and Kate was still serving her suspension. Kate had had lunch with her Dad. She arrived at the loft and opened the door with a key, that Rick had given her a few days before. The memory became reality in her mind as 2012 Kate opened that door:

 _Kate could smell the food that Rick had baking in the oven, a delicious pasta dish with chicken and broccoli. Rick turned toward the door when he heard it open. A smile bloomed brightly across Rick's face. Kate couldn't suppress her answering grin._

 _Rick was preparing a dessert to go with their dinner, and his hands were sticky with his concoction. "Hello, Gorgeous. Let me wash up." He turned to wash his hands, and Kate moved swiftly to wrap her arms around him from behind. Rick dried his hands and turned within her embrace. Their kisses were passionate and deep, creating an instant arousal in Kate. Rick ended a kiss and moved a few inches back from Kate. He pushed her hair away from her neck and started a trail of kisses at her temple moving his lips towards her nape. His hands caressed her back at each side of her spine in a sensuous pattern that heightened Kate's arousal further. As his lips reached the juncture of her nape and her shoulder, Rick slipped his hands beneath her clothes. His fingers played across the dimples at the base of her spine. Kate moaned with pleasure from the dance of his skillful fingers. Rick increased the pressure of his fingers and his lips. Within moments, Kate climaxed loudly with a deep, throaty, carnal laugh. Rick continued his caresses and kisses until Kate's orgasm finished. Kate slumped in Rick's arms, and the lovers burst into astonished laughter._

 _Rick managed to speak first, "Kate, did you really just..?"_

 _Kate smiled brilliantly, "Yes, Writer Man, yes I did. Have you ever accomplished that feat before?"_

" _No, Beckett. Never." Rick replied with a breathless voice and amazed expression._

 _Kate ran her fingers underneath the collar of his shirt and trailed them down his chest. She spread her fingers and skimmed them across his chest to his shoulders, down his arms and finally clasped his hands in her own. She raised one hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles. "Did Heart write a song about you? You definitely have magic hands. I guess I'll just have to keep you for my very own, Magic Man," Kate teased with her head dipped while looking thru her lashes demurely._

 _Rick embraced Kate abruptly. He moved his lips close to her ear and spoke in a deep, sensuous baritone, "As you wish, Kate, as you wish."_

 _Kate giggled, then covered her mouth in embarrassment. Rick swiftly scooped Kate up and carried her bridal style towards his bedroom. "I want to have my way with you again and again, but without clothes," Rick teased with his eyebrows dancing for Kate._

 _Kate nipped Rick's ear and growled with lust. "Just don't burn dinner," she whispered in his ear._

 _Rick flipped Kate over his shoulder and moved towards the stove as she yelped with surprise. "I need my magic hands to adjust the controls," Rick said in his defense. He turned the stove off and returned Kate to her previous position._

 _Kate reached for Rick's ear. She gave it a little tug, "Bedroom. Now, Rick."_

" _As you wish," Rick replied._

Present Day Kate smiled as the memory faded into scattered moments of nude frolicking between the sheets. Kate spoke to the Green Lantern coffee mug, "The man has many talents." Then she burst into laughter. She picked up the mug and turned toward the kitchen, humming "Magic Man" as she walked.

A/N: Yes, it is possible for this scenario to occur. It's one of the many reasons why I miss my late husband.


	3. The Blues

There was more coffee in the pot, but Kate decided she should eat some breakfast with her next cup. She opened the fridge and grabbed an egg from the carton to scramble, a bowl of cut-up fruit, strawberry jam, and the Brummel & Brown spread. She sprayed a small pan with butter spray and placed it on the burner to heat. There was a loaf of multigrain artisan bread on the counter. She popped a slice into the toaster. Cracking the egg on the counter, she opened it over the hot pan, and used a silicone-coated whisk to scramble her egg. She slid the pan to a cool spot on the stove, while she covered the toast in butter and jam. After placing her food choices on a plate, she slipped the B&B spread, jam and leftover fruit back into the fridge. With a fresh cup of coffee and her breakfast in hand, she decided to sit at the small table next to the windows near the piano. She could look at the sky above the city of New York from the loft windows. It was a deep blue sky with cotton clouds. Somewhere in that sky, her husband was on his way home to her.

After the last of her breakfast disappeared from her plate, Kate was reflecting on her husband and the magic he brought into her life. With a sip of coffee warming her throat, Kate's thoughts turned to the myriad things that she loved about her husband. His many different smiles marched through her mind. Her favorite smile was the one that made his eyes almost disappear and his dimples deepen. She could see his smirk; his mischievous half grin; his public-persona fake smile; his happy, contented, just-been-laid smile. She closed her eyes and immersed herself into a memory of carding her fingers through Rick's hair, his head in her lap and that smile on his face. Her own smile made it hard to sip her coffee without making a mess. She carried her breakfast dishes to the kitchen and placed them in the dishwasher.

Standing in front of the loft windows, coffee cup in hand, Kate returned to her musings. She remembered the stunned expression on Rick's face when she led him out of his Storm Fall launch party. He had a hint of stubble on his face, and he smelled of expensive cologne. His shirt was white, and she realized she was lucky it wasn't blue. When he wore blue, his eyes shifted to that deep cobalt shade that distracted her from anything else. She felt again the annoyance that had overtaken her while she questioned him in interrogation. He had been so smug and flippant. Now she knew that was his coping mechanism. When he was nervous, uncomfortable, or frightened, he would joke and assume a bravado that he didn't actually feel. She had learned over the years, that Rick had had a childhood full of teasing and feelings of abandonment. Martha had done her best, but she couldn't give him his missing father or shield him from the stigma of his bastard status. Kate shook her head, and steered her thoughts to happier moments. She couldn't heal the emotional wounds of Rick's childhood. He had no desire to tear open those scars with therapy, and she wasn't going to force therapy upon him.

Kate finished her coffee and strode to the dishwasher to slip the cup inside. Her husband was due home in a couple of hours, and she intended to be waiting for him at the airport.

She paused to make the bed, before she headed to the shower. Looking up from her task, the bathroom light triggered a memory. She felt her cheeks flush and her groin glow with the memory. Their first time together had not been the lust-driven sex she had expected. They had made love. It had been an intimate, emotional, tender, passionate, joining of their bodies culminating in an extraordinary orgasm. They had remained wrapped in each other's arms, savoring the moment. Rick had kissed her nose and whispered, "I'll be right back." Kate remembered how she had felt bereft as he disentangled himself to go to the bathroom. She had propped her head on her elbow to watch him go and been rewarded with her first unobstructed view of his magnificent derriere. With her eyes closed, Kate could see Rick wiggle his butt as he walked away. She giggled softly, just as she had that night. She pictured Rick's retreating body from that night. He wasn't as physically fit as most of her previous lovers. That first night she discovered she preferred his softer, cuddly body to the hard bodies of her past lovers. He was warm, gentle, fun, a good man, a superb lover, and she loved him. She couldn't say it that night, but she remembered the flood of warmth and joy that surrounded her heart. She was in love, and that night solidified her recognition of the truth.

The sound of the front door opening and the plop of a bag hitting the floor echoed through the loft. "Honey, I'm home," Rick mimicked Ricky Ricardo. His smile broadened as he spotted Kate rushing out of the bedroom. She rushed into his arms and peppered his face with kisses, the final kiss pressing her lips to his.

Rick slid one hand into her hair, while Kate reached around with both hands to grab his ass. She broke their kiss, trailed a line of kisses to his ear and sang into his ear, "Your booty is wonderful." Rick shook with laughter, picked Kate up and twirled her around. "I missed you," they announced simultaneously. After more kisses, they paused and rested their foreheads against each other.

"Why didn't you call and tell me you were catching an earlier flight?" Kate whispered as she reveled in the warmth of his embrace.

"I wanted to surprise you." Kate locked her eyes with Rick. "Actually, I made it through security faster than expected and noticed an earlier flight on the departures board. Using my charm, and my black Am Ex card, I was able to purchase a seat on that flight. Apparently, nobody else wanted to pay the price for first class on that flight." He grinned at Kate.

Rick pulled his phone from his pocket and touched an icon on his phone. "Let's dance, Kate." A piano intro was followed by the distinctive voice of Elton John. Rick held Kate and swayed to the music, "I heard this song in the limo one day while I was gone. I've wanted to hold you in my arms and dance to it since I heard it."

 _I guess that's why they call it the blues_

 _Time on my hands could be time spent with you_

 _Laughing like children, living like lovers_

 _Rolling like thunder under the covers_

Rick took Kate's hand and changed their stance to a true dancing position. He led her in spins and dips. They laughed, and he sang along whenever Elton sang:

 _But more than ever I simply love you_ _  
_ _More than I love life itself_

 _And I guess that's why they call it the blues_ _  
_ _Time on my hands could be time spent with you_ _  
_ _Laughing like children, living like lovers_ _  
_ _Rolling like thunder under the covers_ _  
_ _And I guess that's why they call it the blues_

The song ended, but they continued to sway. "I love you, Kate. I love you."

"I love you, Rick, always. I want to hear about your trip, but first, I just want you. I want my husband to make love with me."

"There is nothing, that I would rather do." Rick joined his lips to Kate's. After a breath-taking kiss, he slid one hand to her waist, raised her other hand to his lips, kissed it and used it to turn her towards their bedroom. They circled each other's waists with an arm and sought the comfort of their bed. Their lovemaking echoed Elton's lyrics in its passion.


End file.
